Residents of Abia community in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State, have lamented over what they described as outright neglect of their community by the State and Federal Government.
The community leàders wondered why their community was neglected even when they still pay taxes and participate in the electoral processes and other state activities initiated by state and federal government.
Speaking shortly after donating a piece of land to an international foundation for the erection of a tourist attraction centre, Town Council Association, Chairman, Mr. Mathew Agbor stated that the community was yet to understand why there is no government presence in their land.
He enumerated amenities lacking in the community to include lack of electricity, pipe borne water, lack of accessible road, absence of tele-communications network, stressing that the only road available to the community is maintained through community self help effort.
While calling for quick intervention from state, federal Government and public spirited individuals to come to the aid of the community to enable them have even a town council-hall, stressing that with assistance, development can spring up in the area to turn around fortunes of the community residents.
Responding to the clarion call, Chief Executive Officer CEO of Black Diamond Foundation, Rev. Agbor Black Diamond assured the community of the readiness of his foundation to provide succour to the community.
“The most important thing is that the people of Abia community are most neglected; it’s like the local government (Etung) is not part of Nigeria any longer.
There’s no access road, no light, no telecommunication connection. This has pushed it’s inhabitants out of the place.
“They invest in Ikom, Calabar and other places but we want to attract investors and their sons and daughters back to the locality.
The project is going to be an edifice, to serve as a tourist attraction. Everybody living there are suffering, we have to do something to relieve their sufferings.
